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So, we are a week into our time here in Rome and so far I have come across a few things that you just don't get back in the States. First the cars. They are so tiny! It is almost impossible to come across any type of SUV in
this city. It is all about smart cars, which usually only hold two people, and vespas. The best part about these small vehicles is that you can park them just about anywhere. There is no need for 'real' parallel parking because I have seen people parked every which way along the streets and alleys. It's almost like parking tickets don't exist here for people to worry about proper parking in between the lines!
Possibly the strangest thing I've seen so far though was a tree right in the middle of a street. I stood on the sidewalk for a few minutes just starring at it 
because I couldn't believe that they paved a road right around it. When cars tried to turn down the road they had to do so very cautiously because there was barely enough room between the sidewalk and the tree for them to turn. I guess this city really is environmentally friendly!
Today it seemed that my Jewish heritage was following me all around the city. To start with, on our walk to school we passed a beautiful synagogue. It was by far the most elaborate I have ever seen. I should add that although I am Jewish, I am not very religious, but I really thought it was neat to see the synagogue and be able to tell my grandfather about it. I know Professor Benson told us we would be visiting it sometime during the summer, and now 
that I have seen it I am really excited to see the inside. Also, today on our walk home from school we passed a street performer playing a violin. The strange thing was that he was playing the song "Hava Negila", which is a Jewish folk song that means "let us rejoice"! I couldn't believe that in a city dominated by Catholics, this man was playing a song played at almost every Jewish wedding and bar and bat mitzvah! My final Jewish experience of the day came when I passed by a Roman Jewish restaurant. They had all sorts of Kosher meats and foods. I was so shocked to see this restaurant, and I can not wait to come back! Ilana, a fellow Jew in the program, is planning on coming back with me too!
Let me start this blog off by saying that I am not a fast food lover by any means. I don't even really like McDonald's but sometimes you get a craving for greasy fast food. Well, tonight was that night for me and my roommate. The menu was similar to the one at home but with a few extras like grilled cheese and wings. The prices were expensive though. I paid 5,80 euro for chicken nuggets, fries, and a cola! They tasted good though. I couldn't believe that they charge 10 cents for ketchup but the lady said the bar-b-q sauce for the chicken nuggets was a 'gift'! Although I can now say I had McDonald's in Europe my stomach hurts just like it does after I eat it back home!
So it's Sunday afternoon and what a better way to spend it than exploring Piazza Navona with the sun shining bright! As soon as I entered I noticed that there were so many families out together. It was so nice to see but also made me a little home sick. I decided to have some lunch at the restaurant Ai Tre Tartufi. It was directly in the middle of the piazza. I felt like I was on a movie set with the sun shinning, the beautiful architecture everywhere, and a boy playing an accordion while I ate my cannelloni. It was delicious. I couldn't imagine a more perfect Sunday afternoon.
While I was eating I noticed a theme occurring in the piazza. Everything that was happening had to do with the arts. There was lots of artwork for sale and painters creating
masterpieces right on the street. There were guitar players, accordion players, and saxophone players all over the place. There was even a magician/mime putting on a show right in the middle. He drew in a huge crowd of on lookers. It seemed like an appreciation for the arts was on tap for Sunday afternoon in the piazza!
The first day of class in Rome meant the first day of breakfast in Rome as well. On the walk to school alone it is possible to come across 10 to 20 cafés that will serve various items for breakfast; they are everywhere! For my first taste of a real Italian breakfast I chose to have a croissant, a banana, and a water. The croissant was amazing. The outside was layered with what seemed a sugary icing that really did help to sweeten my first day of class. The inside was light and fluffy. I kept telling myself to eat it slower but I couldn't control myself. It was so delicious that I ate it in less an three minutes! I know that water is not typical for most Italians in the morning but I just don't like the taste of coffee; I am much more of an orange juice person. I told myself though that I have to try a cappuccino some time while I am here. It was interesting to watch the locals order and eat their breakfast and compare it to how I was eating my own breakfast. They seemed much more comfortable with the idea of standing and enjoying breakfast, where I was dying for a nice chair. It seems that the cafés are a meeting place for people in the morning time. They seem cheerful and excited about their upcoming day. I chose to observe and learn about cafés in the morning because I enjoy breakfast and found the activity in the café interesting. Each time I am in the café for breakfast I plan on trying something new. I hope every morning just keeps getting more and more delicious!
When I was thinking of a location to blog about I knew I wanted to do a piazza because they are an important part of Italian culture and the city of Rome in general. I chose the Piazza Navona, specifically the events that occur in it, because I am a Public Relations major. I thought it would be interesting to see how events occur there, who attends them, and how the events and activities change due to the time of day. The Piazza Navona is filled with shops, restaurants, fountains, churches, and Renaissance buildings. There is always something going there day and night. I can not wait to explore the Piazza Navona for the next 7 weeks!
In my mind I had this picturesque image of Rome before I came here. When I arrived it by far surpassed anything I could have ever imaged but I was so surprised by two things I saw on the second day of walking to class. First, when I was walking over the bridge I noticed all these plastic bottles and containers sitting in the Tiber River. I could not believe it. It reminded me of the Delaware River from back home, and that
river is nothing special. The trash kind of took away from the picture perfect idea I had in my mind. Second, I saw an Italian man just throw his crumbled paper on the street. I know it's a city but I just thought of how many beautiful things are housed in this city and could not believe he did that. I know I would never think to litter here!
this city. It is all about smart cars, which usually only hold two people, and vespas. The best part about these small vehicles is that you can park them just about anywhere. There is no need for 'real' parallel parking because I have seen people parked every which way along the streets and alleys. It's almost like parking tickets don't exist here for people to worry about proper parking in between the lines! 
because I couldn't believe that they paved a road right around it. When cars tried to turn down the road they had to do so very cautiously because there was barely enough room between the sidewalk and the tree for them to turn. I guess this city really is environmentally friendly!
